Evidence of meeting #5 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was work.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:55 p.m.
Senior Director, Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, Pacific Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
My apologies. I will speak a little slower.
I was saying that I know from my colleagues in the Pacific region here on the west coast working in fisheries management, as well as being led from my national colleagues working on fish management, that the issue of traceability and labelling is a key area of focus for them.
I'm not directly involved, so if possible, I'll coordinate with them to make sure we have a written response for you.
12:55 p.m.
Bloc
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Madam Desbiens.
We'll now go to Ms. Barron for two and a half minutes or less, please.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We've been emphasizing much of what has occurred in the Fraser River, understandably because it has seen a huge impact from the flooding. I was also hoping to have you speak a bit on some of the other rivers in B.C. that have had salmon populations impacted by the flooding, such as the Colquitz River and Millstream Creek on Vancouver Island. You mentioned Vancouver Island briefly in your statement.
Could you expand on that a little bit?
12:55 p.m.
Senior Director, Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, Pacific Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I'll ask my colleague Mr. Fanos if he's more familiar with this. I'm not familiar with this specific work. I know certainly there is assessment work happening on Vancouver Island as well as the Fraser, but Mr. Fanos might know more.
12:55 p.m.
Director, Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program, Pacific Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
To be short we'd have to do a takeaway. We have staff in the field and in the area offices who do support actions that are happening in various watersheds and systems that have been impacted by floods. It's not uncommon, as we all know, that throughout the winter months we do get many systems throughout British Columbia and Yukon that have these flooding events. It's largely an area delivery program that Fisheries has with C and P officers, science and fish managers that work in the area offices to respond to different activities that may be occurring.
We could find out for those two systems, if you're looking for that information.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Thank you.
I'm wondering if you could clarify the cost to salmon and other fish populations if we return to the same type of unfriendly pumping stations and dike systems that we have in place in many areas.
In the last session, we had a recommendation from our Pacific salmon study which suggested that DFO should review flood mitigation infrastructure. I know we're all hoping for a calmer 2022, but I'm wondering if you could give us a better sense of what that might look like for us to better protect our salmon populations and have more friendly pumping stations and dike systems.
12:55 p.m.
Senior Director, Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, Pacific Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I would say that given our regulatory environment right now, particularly with the new Fisheries Act, there is no going back. As Mr. Fanos mentioned, as that infrastructure comes up for repairs, retrofits, changes or needing replacement, the new regulatory regime applies and that's the federal DFO regarding fish and fish habitat, but there are also provincial standards.
With regard to the other part of your question and the idea of a fund, I do think there will be opportunities for, whether it's B.C.'s SRIF or other federal funds that are directed towards salmon habitat, salmon restoration work in general and those types of projects being eligible.
I did want to highlight also the role of the province in this work. They are the lead regulatory authority around this type of work. They have also expressed an interest in this idea of green and fish friendly infrastructure, so we will be looking to them also in terms of both the funding that flows through them and their own funding that they're putting towards that end.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
I know we're about to conclude. I just wanted to move that given the urgency of this study, the suggested witnesses for the second session be tabled with the clerk by 5 p.m. Thursday, February 10.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Mr. Perkins, you can't move a motion on a point of order, but we can set a deadline for witnesses before we end.
1 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you.
That concludes our formal session of today's meeting.
I want to say thank you, of course, to Ms. Murdoch and Mr. Fanos for joining us today. We'll allow those people to sign off and we'll get back to your deadline for witnesses, Mr. Perkins.
1 p.m.
Director, Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program, Pacific Region, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members. I appreciate it.
1 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you.
Mr. Perkins, on your request, I would suggest we could set a deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday for the submission of witnesses.
1 p.m.
Conservative
1 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Is everybody else in agreement with this?
There's no disagreement—it's all thumbs up. There you go, it's done, easy and smooth. It's exactly the time for the end of the meeting. It didn't even take any extra time.
I want to say thank you to the clerk and the analysts and, of course, our wonderful team of interpreters for a great job again today. Thank you to the committee members for such a cordial meeting and interaction with staff from DFO.
Have a good evening, everyone. We'll see you on Thursday.
